Neighbours Making Noise at Night? Secondary Glazing Can Help

by Clearview Secondary Glazing

21/01/2022

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It can be a nightmare trying to deal with noisy neighbours at night. If you’re trying to enjoy a cosy night in or simply get some sleep, having loud noises from next door (or further afield) invade your personal space is not only disruptive, but it can also become a detriment to your health.

So, how can you manage neighbours making noise at night? In this article, we’ll cover the problems that can arise from noise pollution at night and some potential solutions for you to try.

Problems caused by noisy neighbours at night

Sleep has a big impact on our health and wellbeing. In fact, according to the NHS, lack of sleep can lead to both mental and physical health problems, including depression, anxiety, diabetes, and even coronary heart disease. The NHS recommends that adults get around eight hours of high-quality sleep per night, but this can vary from person to person, and some may need even more. So, especially if you have work the next morning, it’s vital you get those extra ZZZs.

Unfortunately, neighbours making noise at night can put the kibosh on your much needed sleep. That might be through loud music and laughter from late night parties, talking in the street outside, or even the infuriating trill of a car alarm in the early hours. Sometimes loud noises from neighbours can be an honest mistake, and you might hope the problem will resolve itself within a couple of days. If it doesn’t, then it might be an idea to put measures in place.

Solutions for neighbours making noise at night

If your neighbours consistently have the TV blaring through the night or loud soirees in the garden, it might be time to take action. There are several steps you can try to resolve the issue.

Talking it over with the neighbours

Before taking a noise complaint further, it can help to have a discussion with your neighbours, either face to face or via letter. Sometimes neighbours are simply not aware of the impact their noise is making, or they might not even know you can hear it at all.

However, you should only approach your neighbours about the noise if you feel safe doing so. Often, talking to neighbours about your noise complaints only serves to cause more conflict, so you shouldn’t rely on this to quickly resolve the issue.

Use mediation services

If talking one-on-one doesn’t resolve the issue, you could seek the help of a mediation service. A mediator is a trained, independent person that can facilitate discussion between you and the neighbour to help you reach the right solution.

This service may be offered for free by your local council or housing association. However, in most cases there will be a fee to pay – and naturally, this can become costly.

Report to your local council

If the problems with neighbours making noise at night persists, you can report it to the local council. According to gov.uk, they are obligated to act if the noise could potentially be classed as a ‘statutory nuisance’.

The noise will be classed as a statutory nuisance if:

It is a consistent and unreasonable nuisance in your home
It is harmful to your health, or is likely to be

The council will then need to investigate, and if they find the noise from your neighbours is a statutory nuisance, they have to serve an abatement notice. This will require your neighbour to either completely stop or suitably restrict the noise. If they ignore the abatement notice, they will face a fine.

Reporting issues with neighbours to the council can be a lengthy process, especially if the nuisance is hard to prove. It’s important to gather as much evidence as you can, including keeping a log of the time and date of any incidents, as well as contacting other neighbours to see if they’ve had similar issues.

How secondary glazing can help

If you feel your noise problem isn’t worth the complaint or you don’t want to go through the laborious reporting process, there is another solution. Many homes are poorly protected from auditory intrusions, making even the slightest noise from next door or outside very noticeable. One way to improve your sound insulation is with secondary glazing.

Windows are one of the main entry points through which noise can make its way into your home. Even double- or triple-glazed windows don’t create much of a barrier against sound waves. If you want to reduce the impact of noisy neighbours, then secondary glazing is your best option.

Secondary glazing involves installing a second glass window behind your existing single-glazed window. This is much more effective for noise reduction than double or triple glazing, because the gap between the two panels is considerably larger. This gap significantly weakens sound waves by constructing a greater barrier for them to pass through to reach the interior of your home, cutting out up to 80% of the disruptive noise.

Without a doubt, the most important acoustic factor for secondary glazing is the gap between panels. The recommended minimum gap is between 100-150mm, but for optimum noise insulation, 200mm is the best size.

If you don’t have that much space around your windows, there’s the option of acoustic glass to bolster your insulation. As it sounds, acoustic glass is specifically developed to reduce noise levels, and can be a successful tool against noise pollution when used alongside secondary glazing. However, ultimately, it’s the gap that makes the biggest difference – so if acoustic glass is out of your price range, you won’t be hindered in defending your home from noise intrusions.

Enjoy a quiet night with secondary glazing

Want to shield your home from noisy neighbours? At Clearview, we have vast experience installing secondary glazing to keep your sound insulation at its best. With a wide range of glass to choose from – including cost-effective options as well as specialist acoustic glass – you’ll be assured you’re receiving the highest-quality noise-reduction for your windows.

If you’re ready for a restful night’s sleep, then get a free, no-obligation quote today. Or contact us on 0114 294 5018 or email [email protected] to discuss your options for secondary glazing.

Clearview Secondary Glazing

Clearview secondary glazing - the solution to significantly improved acoustic and heat insulation to your property, making your home or offices more comfortable, secure, greener and cost efficient to run. Achieved without the disruption of replacement windows, and without damaging the character of your building.